Giving FAQs
We want you to have all the information you need to make an informed philanthropic decision.
If your question does not appear in this list, please contact us at [email protected] or call 1-800-789-2611, and we will happily assist you.
General Questions
How do I make a gift to GW?
The George Washington University can accept gifts via many different methods. Listed below are the most common through which you can make your gift.
- Online gifts - GW's secure online giving form is the easiest and quickest way to make your gift. GW accepts Discover, Mastercard, Visa, or American Express credit cards.
- Gifts by mail or phone - mail your gift to:
The George Washington University
PO Box 98131
Washington, D.C. 20077-9756 - Please make checks payable to The George Washington University.
- Gifts by phone - Call our secure telephone line at 1-844-574-4483 if you prefer to provide your credit card information over the phone. GW accepts Discover, Mastercard, Visa, or American Express credit cards.
- Gifts of Stock or Securities - Contributing securities or appreciated stocks and bonds is a tax-wise way to show support of GW. You can make a difference by electronic transfer or by certificate. Please call 1-800-789-2611 for more information.
- Gifts of Real Estate - There are many options for donating your home, second home, commercial building, raw land, farm, or other real estate to GW. There may be a gift plan available that will help you achieve your charitable and financial goals with a gift of real estate. Learn more about the many ways you can help GW with a gift of real estate.
- Planned Giving - Our estate planning options allow you to support GW while often securing favorable tax treatment. Learn more about your options.
Where can I give?
You may designate your contribution to any of GW's schools, programs, libraries, special initiatives, scholarship funds, or endowments. If you would like help in matching your interests to an area of support, call us at 1-844-574-4483.
Endowments
- What are the minimum endowment levels to establish and name an endowed fund?
- Can I choose what my endowment supports?
- Once established, can I continue to give to my fund?
- When will an endowment begin generating payout that can be spent?
- What percentage of endowment earnings are spent?
- What is a quasi-endowment?
- What is an "underwater" endowment?
- What is GW's policy for endowed funds? Is there a policy for spending from underwater funds?
- How often is endowment payout distributed?
- Will GW reinvest the payout to help my fund grow?
- What does GW's endowment provide for?
- What is the value of GW's endowment?
- How does the endowment increase in value?
- What is the recent history of GW endowments?
What are the minimum endowment levels to establish a new, named endowed fund?
A named endowed award or prize fund may be established with a minimum gift of $25,000, and the minimum gift for a named endowed scholarship or fellowship is $100,000. Endowment gifts may be pledged and paid over a period of up to five years. For more information about establishing an endowed fund at GW (such as
internships, financial aid, research funds, capital funds, and faculty or staff positions), please contact Jennifer Riordan, Executive Director of Donor Relations, at [email protected] or (202) 994-9432.
Can I choose what my endowment supports?
Yes, a number of donors to the George Washington University choose to restrict how their funds can be used. You can designate your gift to support a particular school or program, special initiative, library, or other opportunity at the university. Please contact Jennifer Riordan at [email protected] or 202-994-9432 to review your options.
Once established, can I continue to give to my fund?
Yes, unless you state otherwise in your memorandum of understanding when the gift is established, the fund can be left "open" to future gifts from you or other individuals who choose to support the fund.
How is GW’s Endowment currently managed?
Strategic Investment Group, our Outsourced Chief Investment Office (OCIO), manages most assets in the Endowment, excluding certain separately managed funds and the portfolio of real estate investment properties. Strategic Investment Group works together with the Committee on Finance and Investments of the Board of Trustees to establish asset class targets and ranges consistent with the specific financial needs and objectives of our Endowment.
Does GW charge any administrative fees to manage my endowment gift?
The only fees charged to the Endowment are the expenses directly related to the management of the Endowment, such as costs related to the OCIO, investment managers, and custodian fees. The university does not charge additional overhead or administrative fees to the Endowment. Costs of managing the Endowment are netted from investment return and are comparable to the institutional expenses of investment company funds.
How is the amount of annual payout determined and then distributed?
The annual payout is intended to approximate 5 percent of the average fair value of the Endowment. The Board of Trustees approves the payout annually, and it is then allocated monthly to individual funds.
When will an endowment begin generating payout that can be spent?
Endowments are established once the initial gift is received and all required paperwork has been completed. Beginning with the second month after establishment, the endowment will generate payout. If the initial gift is below the minimum required funding level for the type of endowment established, endowment payout will be
automatically reinvested into corpus until the sum of reinvested payout plus additional gifts brings the corpus to the minimum required funding level. Once the corpus reaches the minimum required funding level, payout generated from that point forward is available to be spent.
Will GW reinvest the annual payout to help my fund grow?
Accumulated unspent endowment payout may be reinvested into the corpus of the fund at the donor’s request if the fund does not meet minimum required funding levels, or at the discretion of the university as long as reinvestment is not prohibited by the donor. Upon reinvestment, the fund is allocated additional units and, therefore,
earns additional payout going forward.
What is a quasi-endowment?
Quasi endowment funds are funds functioning as an endowment that are established by the institution from either donor or institutional funds, and will be retained and invested rather than expended. The quasi endowment must retain the purpose and intent as specified by the donor or source of the original funds, and earnings may be expended only for those purposes. Since they are established by the institution rather than by an external source, the principal may be expended as stipulated by the donor.
What is an “underwater” endowment? Is there a policy for spending from underwater funds?
An endowment fund is “underwater” when its market value falls below the value of the original gift(s). The university’s policies permit spending from underwater endowment funds unless precluded by the donor or relevant laws and regulations. Further, the university follows the Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional
Funds Act (UPMIFA) as adopted by the Council of the District of Columbia.
How often is endowment payout distributed?
Endowment payout is distributed monthly.
Will GW reinvest the payout to help my fund grow?
Endowment payout may be reinvested into the corpus of the fund at the donor's request, if the fund does not meet minimum required funding levels or at the discretion of the university.
What does GW's endowment provide for?
More than 1,200 individual endowments that comprise the George Washington University's consolidated pooled endowment provide perpetual funding for instructional and research support, professorships, scholarships, and facilities.
What is the value of GW's endowment?
Thanks to careful financial stewardship and the generosity of alumni, faculty, staff, students, families, and friends, the endowment grew to a value of $1.57 billion as of June 30, 2016.
How does the endowment increase in value?
While investment returns help to fuel the growth of GW's endowment, the addition and appreciation of gifts are more important over the long term. Regular, recurring contributions effectively lower the endowment's cost basis, reduce risk, and enhance performance. Over time, market volatility "averages out" as the fund increases in value.Total endowment assets returned 1.2 percent over the last fiscal year and endowment assets in aggregate returned an annualized average of 6.4 percent for the five years ending June 30, 2016. The pooled endowment returned 3.1 percent for the fiscal year.
What is the recent history of GW endowments?
Two hundred thirteen new endowments have been created since 2011. GW pools these individual endowments for investment purposes, with the goal of preserving and enhancing the endowment's purchasing power while providing a relatively stable source of income to meet the university's needs. In fiscal year 2016, the endowment provided $77 million for GW's activities.
Faculty and Staff Campaign
- Where have faculty and staff given to in the past?
- How much should I give?
- How can I give?
- How does payroll deduction work?
- Who will know about my gift?
- Can I make a gift jointly with my spouse/significant other?
Where have faculty and staff given to in the past?
You are welcome and encouraged to make your gift to any area you wish, designation options are listed on the donation form for your convenience.
How much should I give?
You determine amount of your gift according to your own charitable interests, your personal willingness to give, and your financial capacity. No gift is too small. It's your participation in the effort that matters most.
Donors who contribute $1,000 or more within a fiscal year will be recognized as members of the Luther Rice Society, one of the university's most prestigious recognition societies. The Luther Rice Society has a number of benefits and events for its members.
How can I give?
There are many ways to make a gift to GW. You can make your gift via:
- Payroll deduction
- Check (Payable to The George Washington University)
- Credit/debit card
- Appreciated securities and bonds
- Bequests
- Life insurance
Use the payroll deduction form to make your gift today, or contact the GW annual giving office at [email protected] or 1-800-789-2611.
How does payroll deduction work?
Payroll deduction is one of the easiest and most convenient ways to make your gift. By completing the payroll deduction form, you may specify the amount to have automatically deducted from each paycheck and where your support should be designated. Your gift will be split over 12 or 26 pay periods, depending on your personal pay schedule, making it very easy to give your gift incrementally over time.
Who will know about my gift?
You will receive a receipt for your gift, but the amount will remain confidential to others. If you wish to keep your gift entirely anonymous, you may indicate so on the pledge form.
Can I make a gift jointly with my spouse/significant other?
Of course. It is your choice whether to make your gift as an individual or a couple. Additionally, your spouse/significant other may work for or be a retiree from a company that matches philanthropic gifts made by their employees. Check our matching gifts search form or with the human resources department of his/her company to see if you could double your gift to GW.